Simone Biles wins record-equalling 23rd World Championship medal

The American is now tied for the most at the global meet for any gymnast, male or female

5 minBy Scott Bregman
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Simone Biles has yet another entry in the record books.

After taking the gold medal on the vault on Saturday at the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, she is now tied with Vitaly Scherbo for the most medals at the championships of any gymnast.

"What is it supposed to feel like?" Biles asked of her record-tying medal. "I don't know. I don’t get time to think about these things. I think about my performances and then... dinner."

The gold medal is her 23rd overall and her 17th world title. She now has back-to-back victories in the event to compliment the Olympic title she won on the apparatus at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Team-mate Jade Carey claimed silver with Team GB's Ellie Downie taking the bronze.

Biles has a chance to own the record outright when she appears in balance beam and floor exercise finals as the competition wraps up on Sunday.

Historic golds for Yulo, Colak

A year after winning the Philippines' first medal in World Championship history in Doha, bronze on the floor, Carlos Edriel Yulo converted that into his country's first gold.

He said, “Last year, I was looking at my medal and I was like, ‘I will get the gold medal next year.’”

He edged out Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat 15.300 to 15.200 with a nearly flawless routine.

Yulo tumbled a sky-high full-twisting double layout to open and then followed it up with a double pike front with a half twist. He then stuck his triple full dismount to cement the title.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said as he looked in disbelief at the gold medal hanging around his neck. “I don’t really know. I’m so happy. I didn’t expect to win this medal. I’m very happy right now.”

Two hours later, Ibrahim Colak captured the still rings world title to give Turkey their first-ever medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

"I'm so happy for this. I don't know what can I say but I did," said Colak. "Also, I have tickets for the Olympic Games now. This is will be the first time for me."

Colak hopes that his teammates Ahmet Onder and Ferhat Arican, who compete in Sunday's parallel bars final, will be joining him at Tokyo 2020.

"I believe my friends will take two more medals, and we will go together to the Olympic Games," he said, "Turkey's coming, only just wait."

The 24-year-old from Izmir held off Italy's Marco Lobadio, 14.933 to 14.900, while France's Samir Ait Said took third with 14.800.

For Said, the medal was his first at the Worlds and comes three years after he suffered a horrific injury on vault at Rio 2016.

It was an emotional bronze for Said whose father passed away in February.

Tears for Whitlock

The men's pommel horse final was a thriller with the medal winners separated by just a tenth of a point.

Britain's double Olympic champion Max Whitlock won his third title in the event, adding to his 2015 and 2017 victories.

A year ago, he posted the joint-top score in the final but had to settle for silver after losing out on a tie-break to Xiao Ruoteng.

On Saturday, he earned a 15.500 as the second athlete to compete and had to sit and wait as Rhys McClenaghan, 15.400, and Lee Chih Kai of Chinese Taipei, 15.433, both came close.

"I felt like I was that's probably the closest I've ever been to fainting," Whitlock said of the wait to see the final results. "I had pins and needles in my fingers, you know, waiting for those scores coming up, it's a horrible feeling. It really really is. It's quite tough."

But in the end there were tears of joy for Whitlock as he regained his crown with McClenaghan clinching Ireland's first medal in the history of the World Championships.

Double for Derwael

Last to go in the women's uneven bars final, Belgian Nina Derwael retained her world title from 12 months ago.

Her routine is like a roller coaster as she flies high on release-and-catch moves then ping pongs back and forth between the bars, transitioning from high to low and back again.

It ended with precision as she stuck her full-twisting double back.

"I don't have any words to describe it," she said afterward. "I'm just so so happy and it just doesn't feel real yet."

Becky Downie, sister of vault bronze medallist Ellie, was second to go and held the lead until Derwael's winning performance.

The 26-year-old Briton has twice been European champion in the discipline, but this was her first individual medal at the Worlds to cap a great day for the siblings.

She said, "I think we will definitely FaceTime our mum, she's not out here. I spoke to her on the phone and, of course, she's crying.

"But I just think it's been a hard stock for both of us. We've both had quite big injuries over the last year and a half, so for this to kind of pay off how it has and to do it on the same day, I still can't really believe it. It's crazy."

Newcomer Suni Lee of the United States rounded out the podium in third, while Biles finished out of the medals in fifth.

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